Abstract

One of the key aims of synthetic biology is to create standardized biological components that can be combined to produce predictable outcomes. However, the functionality of components such as promoters can vary between species. This represents a significant challenge if one is to avoid constructing a separate genetic tool box for each species of interest. Examples of convergent evolution of complex traits can be found in nature, the study of which may provide clues to whether the development of a species-independent tool box is a realistic aim. The C4 photosynthetic pathway is one such example, it has evolved multiple times and is present in at least 66 independent lineages. This presentation will cover work from the Hibberd lab investigating how cis-regulation of the C4 photosynthetic pathway has evolved, including data from classic reporter cut-down analysis and DNase-Seq, before reflecting on what can be learned for the purposes of metabolic engineering.